Toms River Police: Man in pickup scouts out gas stations before stealing air pumps

A guy in an older teal Chevy pickup with dents in the hood: That’s who and what police in Toms River, NJ, are looking for as they investigate a series of overnight thefts from gas stations.

Police released surveillance images Tuesday morning of the truck and suspect in question apparently scouting out the heist before returning hours later to steal air pumps—the type motorists use to fill their tires – under the cover of darkness.

In the images taken around 7 p.m. on July 10 show the green truck at the Exxon station at Route 37 and Route 166 and the man—wearing a blue shirt and dark shorts – appearing to be on his cellphone while walking around not far from the air pump, which has a value of about $1,100. Around 4 a.m. the next morning, the truck returned and the man stole the machine, said police.

The man has also swiped air pumps from other area gas stations, said investigators.

Anyone who recognizes the truck or the man in blue is asked to call Detective Roger Hull at 732-349-0150, ext. 1291.

____________________________________________________

This story first appeared on NBC10, which is a content partner with NewsWorks.org